Transformational Art

By Carolyn Edlund

Art has been a lifesaver for Gregg Visitainer. Now this California artist has made it his life’s work.

 

 

Art can be a healing force, but for Gregg Visitainer, it has also been empowering. Back in high school, he went through a very difficult time, drifting into drug and alcohol abuse, health problems, pain, depression and isolation. To cope with his situation, he began to draw, spending long hours creating intricate patterns and designs.

 

 

 

 

“My artwork helped me get through my demons,” he says, “I realized that I needed to tap into art. Art truly is my meditation and therapy; it is how I deal with life. Instead of writing everything out, I can draw it out. Being able to express how I feel through art is a gift in itself.”

 

 

The result is a body of work that mesmerizes the viewer with hidden pictures, words and messages that tell a story. His first piece, “Lonely World” took over 250 hours to create, during a three-month span.

 

 

Vizintainer explains, “Everything in my art has a connection, whether it is a hidden image or word. These words connect to the art by telling a story or the history of the image. These words are very thought out and help people relate to my art because of the hidden messages.”

 

 

 

Working solely with gel pens, this self-taught artist draws for four or five hours a day, and sells his work under the business name of VizArtInk. Each pattern or artwork can be used for many different things. Not only does he sell prints, giclees and even greeting cards featuring his work, but he has also worked extensively with manufacturers.

 

 

“I am blessed to work with so many companies,” he states, “It seems like the action sports industry has really taken me in because some of the first companies I worked with were Element Skateboards, Volcom, DC Shoes and others. Right now I have my artwork on over 25 different DC Shoes products from snowboards to backpacks and gloves to even jackets and luggage. It is crazy to see my artwork come to life on all these products.”

 

 

What’s next for this prolific artist?  “Coming out in the next couple of months will be a Dregs longboard for the Grateful Dead,” he explains. “Earlier this year I was honored to draw for Falken Tires for marketing at the American Le Mans and Formula Drift. My artwork is currently on Skinit products for phone, laptops and anything electronic. It is endless what my art can be on and I can’t wait to continue to work with more incredible companies.”

 

 

The journey from the depths of despair to embracing a full-time art career as a successful, passionate artist has been so transformational that Gregg Visintainer also acts as a motivational speaker – working with youth to encourage them to pursue their dreams, goals and artistic capabilities.